The revealing wartime letters and memories of an RAF pilot and his WAAF officer fiancée

The memoirs and letters of Joe Pack and his wife-to-be Margaret Dillon, written in World War II, reveal a fascinating story, with many twists and turns.

To begin with there are Joe's recollections of his experiences as a Halifax pilot with No. 35 Squadron, culminating in his being shot down over the Dutch/German border on his 18th operation.

His subsequent evasion from capture and return to the UK ~ via the Comète escape line ~ is an amazing adventure story in itself, but this is just one part of his wartime experiences...

On the way he was helped by many extraordinary people, including Andrée De Jongh and Micheline and Andrée Dumon, who were highly decorated after the war for their heroism in operating the escape line, which enabled hundreds of British and American airmen to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe.

Others who helped Joe were not so fortunate and were later captured and executed by Germans; their names and deeds, along with his eternal gratitude, are recorded in this book for posterity...

On his return to the UK, Joe was reassigned to flying boats ~ first Sunderlands and then Catalinas ~ and while undergoing the extra training this required, his eye was caught by a certain Margaret Dillon, a WAAF Officer serving at RAF Oban. His amorous advances were rejected, however, and she was subsequently posted to RAF Davidstow Moor in Cornwall, whilst he was destined to join 265 Squadron on patrol in the Indian Ocean...

Romance seemed well-and-truly off the menu, but at some point ~ and it is not clear exactly when or why ~ they began corresponding. The many airmail letters they subsequently exchanged not only document their developing courtship but also reveal many fascinating details about the wartime years.

details

softback | 140 x 205 mm | 280 pages | b/w photos

genre

biography | military history | true war and combat stories | air forces and warfare